


A Bear-y Good Surprise

by aban_ataashi



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Gen, just a short piece of fluff for a silly headcanon i have
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-28 21:55:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16250549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aban_ataashi/pseuds/aban_ataashi
Summary: Vela gets a gift. The Watcher passes down some ranger wisdom.





	A Bear-y Good Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a short piece of fluff for the Pillar Fic Prompt: Gift! I like to headcanon that Vela learns the skills of whatever class the Watcher is, so this is how I imagine that happening with her and Rudi. Also I apologize for that awful pun title, I literally could not think of anything else, I hope you enjoy the story anyway!

“I have a surprise for you!”

Few words could get a child more excited than those, and in less than a second Vela was at Rudi’s side, jumping up and down on the balls of her feet.

“What surprise?” she demanded, her mind already racing with possibilities. Rudi was always bringing back little presents from her adventures, usually sweets and trinkets and such things. Vela’s latest surprise had been a large fancy hat with a feather, just like the ones the captains in Neketaka wore. It was too big for Vela, and slid over her eyes when she wore it, but she loved it anyway.

Rudi grinned down at the orlan girl, sliding her pack off with exaggerated slowness. She held it just out of reach- Vela arched onto tiptoes to try and peer inside, but the human woman easily kept it above her line of sight. “Actually, I’m kind of tired right now. And covered in mud. I gotta say, camping in a bog is not the best experience. Maybe we should talk tomorrow…”

If Rudi was teasing her, it _had_ to be good. Vela crossed her arms and pouted, giving Rudi her biggest, bluest, _sad-but-adorable_ eyes. Keeping the expression straight was difficult; Vela couldn’t help but notice that Rudi was right about being a mess. Her clothes were caked in mud, her bow was still slung across her back, and her short dark curls were damp with rain. That meant she had come straight here from her adventure, which meant the surprise had to be _super good._

Rudi laughed. “Oh, who can stand up to a face like that?” She set her pack on the ground, and Vela noticed for the first time that the pack was moving. She peered forward, curious, just as a small brown head poked out. Vela gasped in delight as the little bear cub wriggled its way free of the sack.

“We found her out on her own in the bog,” Rudi explained. “Not sure what happened to her mother, so I brought her back here. She needs someone to look after her- think you can handle it?”

Vela’s eyes swiveled back and forth between Rudi and the bear cub, wide with disbelief. “You mean like you and Sol? You think I can do that?”

“Sure!” Rudi grinned. “I got Sol when I was about your age, you know. If you take care of her and train her well, you could make a good team.”

Vela clasped her hands together, already imagining all of the things she could do with her own animal companion. Having Sol around was fun- the lion was large but always gentle with Vela, and if she bribed him with bits of fish he could even be persuaded to let Vela braid his mane. But this bear cub would be _hers._  “I’ll take real good care of her, I promise!”

“And it’s not just that.” Rudi’s expression shifted into something more serious- a look that the Watcher didn’t wear very often. “She’s not going to be your pet- she’s going to be your partner. Like Sol and I. We watch each other’s backs. We’re always looking out for one another. When things get dangerous, a bond like that can save your life. But it’s more than just training her to fight. You have to let know she can trust you.”

“She’ll be another part of our family!”

“That’s right.” Rudi looked down at the cub with a soft smile. “And once she gets a little bigger, she’ll be able to keep an eye on you. Even if I- even when I’m away on my adventures.”

“And you can teach me to shoot, and then the two of us can go on our own adventures!”

Rudi laughed and affectionately ruffled Vela’s hair. “Maybe. When you’re _older._ You’ve still got a long way to go, okay?”

Vela nodded, but she wasn’t really listening anymore. She sat down in front of the bear cub, tentatively stroking the soft brown fur. The bear studied her warily, sniffed at Vela’s fingers, and then shuffled forward to lick her face. Vela giggled. This was better than a _million_ hats.


End file.
